


The Spark

by tinyvoices



Category: Star Wars: Rebels
Genre: Getting Together, Getting to Know Each Other, I just love these two okay, M/M, mostly Kallus's POV, rating may increase later, stumbling upon their feelings for each other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-23
Updated: 2020-06-11
Packaged: 2021-02-27 23:02:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,255
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22853686
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tinyvoices/pseuds/tinyvoices
Summary: Rebellions were built on hope.At least that's what he'd heard. It seemed fitting then, that by the time he'd made it to the escape pod, all Kallus had left was hope. Hope that the Ghost was still close enough to be hailed. Hope that they'd answer. Hope that they'd pick him up. Because they certainly didn't have to. They certainly had very little reason to want to bring Kallus on board. Sure, they were rebels, saving people's lives is what they did, but surely there was a limit to their altruism. And surely, if there was a limit, Kallus -- Fulcrum or not -- would be the one on the other side of that line.// Takes place at the end of Zero Hour: Part 2
Relationships: Alexsandr Kallus & Garazeb "Zeb" Orrelios, Alexsandr Kallus/Garazeb "Zeb" Orrelios
Comments: 11
Kudos: 107





	1. Chapter 1

**THE SPARK**

**_Chapter 1_ **

_ Rebellions were built on hope _ . 

At least that's what he'd heard. It seemed fitting then, that by the time he'd made it to the escape pod, all Kallus had left was hope. Hope that the  _ Ghost _ was still close enough to be hailed. Hope that they'd answer. Hope that they'd pick him up. Because they certainly didn't have to. They certainly had very little reason to want to bring  _ Kallus  _ on board. Sure, they were rebels, saving people's lives is what they did, but surely there was a limit to their altruism. And surely, if there  _ was  _ a limit, Kallus -- Fulcrum or not -- would be the one on the other side of that line. 

But he didn't have time to dwell on that as he got to work sending a transmission to the  _ Ghost _ . 

Seconds went by as he held his breath and tried to catch sight of them in the chaos all around him. But before he could even  _ think _ of giving up hope, the  _ Ghost _ came speeding into view. The irony that he was being rescued by the  _ Ghost _ of all ships was not lost on him. His entire mission while assigned to Lothal was centered around the  _ Ghost _ and its annoyingly evasive band of rebels. The same rebels who were now his saviors. He gave himself a moment to breathe a sigh of relief as he felt and heard the  _ clunk _ as his escape pod attached to the  _ Ghost _ . Then he took a deep breath, squared his shoulders, and steeled himself to enter the ship he'd chased more times than he'd care to remember at the moment, only vaguely registering the twinge in his rib cage as he did so.  _ That'll hurt later _ , he thought as the airlock opened.

*

Kallus could hear the firefight outside as he ran through the halls of the  _ Ghost _ , feeling a small sense of disbelief as he followed the infamous imperial-turned-rebel-leader General Dodonna past a group of displaced rebels and into the bridge. He kept his eyes fixed straight ahead, out the viewport. He wanted to watch as the stars grew long in front of them as they entered hyperspace, the last step before he could let himself start to believe he'd made it out. He noticed two of the crew turn to look at them as they entered (and he couldn't  _ not  _ notice that one was purple), but they made no comments, so he kept silent, too. He was thankful for the lack of attention, knowing it was likely short-lived.

Once the ship settled into its calculated hyperspace route, it seemed as though everyone on the bridge let go of held breath at once. 

"Alright, everyone," Captain Syndulla began, her fingers working controls to engage autopilot, "We're not out of the woods yet, but we've got some time before our next jump." She turned around and gave a small smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Take a break, grab some caf, do whatever you need to do, but I want a crew meeting in 10. We've got a lot of people on board and we'll need to find a way to make everyone comfortable until we reach the new base." She stood up and headed for the door, slowing to acknowledge Kallus and General Dodonna with a nod. They nodded back and stepped out of the way of the door to let her through.

Kallus was just moving to follow when Zeb stood from his seat and caught his eye. A quick jerk of his head signaled to Kallus to wait a minute, so Kallus kept his position next to the door and allowed Dodonna, Kanan, and the clone to exit. 

As he watched them leave, Kallus's mind was a jumble of thoughts. Kallus had spent more than a standard year working as Fulcrum, and though he'd sent transmissions to the rebels and had even encountered most of the  _ Ghost _ crew here and there, he had neither seen nor spoken to Garazeb Orrelios since their time on Bahryn. If he were being honest with himself, he often wondered if he would ever see Zeb again, and as time went on, he began to suspect he wouldn't. When it was clear that Thrawn knew there was a spy somewhere within his command, Kallus had pretty much resigned himself to the fact that he would die in his Imperial uniform. And when the rebels (to his utter amazement) sent the young jedi to get Kallus out, he knew he had to stay. Oh, how he had wanted to leave then and there. But he knew he could never reconcile it within himself, not when he could do so much more from within the ranks of the Empire. 

But as he had watched the imperial shuttle leave that day, he'd known he was watching his last hope of escape leave with it. That was it. He had resolved to do as much as he could for the Rebellion from the other side, and he would see it through to the end. 

And yet... here he was. Standing battered, bruised, and fully defected on the bridge of the  _ Ghost _ with the man who had ignited the spark of rebellion within him. He watched the bridge doors close and took a deep breath before he spoke.

"Zeb, I-"

But he was cut off by huge purple arms pulling him into a nearly-bone-crushing hug. Not quite what he had expected. Before he could object or respond or form a single coherent thought, Zeb pulled away and looked at him with such clear happiness that Kallus was momentarily rendered speechless. 

"Kallus," Zeb began, hands locked onto the sides of Kallus's arms, "you have no idea how glad I am that you're here. I hated leaving you on that ice moon. I wanted to turn around as soon as we left, but I knew you'd never come with us. I honestly didn't think the Empire would even look for you, and I was afraid I'd left you for dead...." Zeb's ears were flat against his head and his face had such a look of desperation, it was as if he'd been wanting to say this for a very long time, which, Kallus thought, was probably the case. 

"Zeb-" Kallus tried, but Zeb wasn't finished.

"When Sabine came back from the Academy and said you'd helped her," he shook his head, "I was so relieved! And confused, if I'm being honest. But mostly relieved, because I thought for sure you were dead. And then we found out you were Fulcrum, and I just... well, I just can't believe-"

"Zeb!" Kallus managed.

"What?" Zeb asked.

Kallus looked at him for a moment, and was nearly overwhelmed with everything he felt. He could hardly believe what Zeb had just said, and he wasn't sure he'd ever be able to properly explain to Zeb how indebted he was to him. He tried to put as much emphasis and meaning behind his words when he spoke. 

"Thank you," was all he could muster, but he meant it.

Zeb's ears flicked forward and back again before he smiled crookedly and pulled Kallus back into another tight embrace. Kallus managed a small chuckle before Zeb finally released him and stepped back, hands in the air.

"Alright, that was the last one, I promise," he said, still smiling.

Kallus raised an eyebrow and smiled, too. "Let's hope not," he said.

Zeb was clearly not expecting that response, but before he could speak, the doors opened and the droid they call Chopper was on the other side, beeping and whirring as droids do. 

"Oh, right," said Zeb. "I'd better get to the meeting. Hera doesn't like it when we're late."

"I'm sure there's much to discuss." He glanced just beyond the bridge doors to the hall filled with rebels, "I'll stay here with the others."

Zeb nodded. "I'll come and find you when we're done. I'll bring a medpac," he said, with a nod to Kallus's general state of injury. 

Kallus chuckled. "Thank you, Zeb."

Zeb's ears flicked as he smiled and said, for the second time, "I'm glad you're here, Kallus." 

"It's Alex," Kallus corrected.

A wry smile spread across Zeb's face. "Short for Alexsandr," he said, "I know."

//

  
  
  



	2. Chapter 2

**_Chapter 2_ **

Kallus stood in the corridor just outside the bridge, leaning against the wall and watching the medical droid tend to the others one by one. It had come to him twice already -- he did look the most injured \-- but he’d sent it away each time. His imperial uniform drew enough attention as it was; he didn’t want to give the rebels any more reason to resent him. They didn’t know anything about him or why he was there, and they certainly couldn’t be expected to trust him just because Kanan had had a few kind words to say.

_ An exercise in humility, that’s what this is, _ he thought, as he avoided the gazes drifting his way from around the hall. Kallus had been a high-ranking officer with the Imperial Security Bureau for a large part of his career. Pride came with the title. Looking down on people and putting yourself first was encouraged. Kindness was weakness. Humility was laughable. He shook his head in disgust as he thought about just how devoted he had been to the Empire and its ideologies. He caught himself.  _ Don’t pull on that thread. _

He heard the doors at the far end of the corridor open, and he was grateful for the distraction. He watched Zeb enter and head his way, medpac in hand, and tried to stifle the smile that crept onto his face. He pushed off from the wall as Zeb neared, but immediately winced in pain at the movement. Now that his adrenaline had worn off, he was starting to feel the full extent of his injuries. And they were plentiful.

“Let me guess,” Zeb said, rolling his eyes, “you wouldn’t let the med droid look at you.”

“I merely directed it to see the others first,” Kallus replied innocently.

“Right.” Zeb glanced over his shoulder at the crowded hall and looked back at Kallus. “Well, you can’t get rid of me that easily. Come on,” he said, jerking his head towards the doors he had just come through, “let’s get you fixed up.”

Kallus followed, glad that Zeb seemed to notice the stares focused in his direction. The lasat’s presence was enough to stop the whispering, at least. Kallus tried not to look too eager as he left the prying eyes behind.

*

Sitting on top of a crate under the harsh lights of the  _ Ghost’s _ cargo hold, shirtless, and trusting a lasat with his wounds, Kallus felt more at ease than he had for a very long time. He chuckled quietly as he watched Zeb work carefully to wrap a Bacta patch tightly against his rib cage, recalling their time on Bahryn. 

Zeb’s ears twitched at the sound. “What’s so funny?” he asked, his eyes flicking up to Kallus’s face for just a second.

“Seems a bit familiar, doesn’t it?” Kallus said, gesturing to Zeb’s bandaging work.

Zeb laughed. “Yeah, only this time we’re on the same side.” 

Kallus couldn’t help but smile at that. “And we’re not worried about freezing to death.”

“Or being eaten alive,” Zeb added. 

Kallus hummed in agreement. 

They fell into comfortable silence as Zeb finished the last of the bandaging. 

“That should do it,” declared Zeb, as he stepped back to admire his handiwork. “It’s not too tight, is it?”

Kallus looked down at the bandaging and once again found himself indebted to the lasat. “No, it’s perfect. Thank you, Zeb.”

“Well, I’m no med droid….” Zeb replied, with a pointed look at Kallus, before turning to pack up the remaining supplies. 

Kallus sighed. He should’ve known Zeb wouldn’t let that go. The air grew strained between them. He could tell Zeb was angry that he hadn’t let the medical droid tend to his wounds, even if he tried to make light of it. He doubted that any explanation would suffice. “The others have been in this fight far longer than I have,” he tried. “They’ve suffered far worse. They didn’t deserve to wait behind an  _ imperial _ for--”

“The others weren’t tortured by Thrawn!” Zeb interrupted, his voice just under a yell and his growl echoing around the hold.

Kallus was struck by the anger in Zeb’s voice, but also struck by something else: He hadn’t told Zeb what had happened to him. “How did you know?” he asked.

Zeb visibly wilted at that. His ears drooped and his expression was a mix of sadness and anger. “Your message,” he said. “When Hera told me your message was cut off, we knew it had to mean you were found out. And I don’t think anyone other than Thrawn could’ve figured it out. At first I thought you might’ve been killed. But Hera said that Thrawn is too proud to just shoot you on the spot. He’d want to try to prove he’s stronger than you, to... weaken you. Then when I saw you were all banged up...” He paused and looked away, shaking his head and taking a deep breath, as if to control his anger. Kallus stayed quiet and looked on in wonder. He tried to wrap his head around the fact that Zeb was so enraged over Thrawn’s treatment of him. What had he done to deserve Zeb’s concern? He waited for Zeb to continue.

When Zeb looked back at Kallus, his face was softer. “I’m not surprised you escaped, not even a little -- I’ve fought you enough times to know you don’t go down easily -- but boy am I glad you made it out. I just wish I could get  _ my _ hands on Thrawn.” He said, balling his hands into fists. 

“Truthfully, I don’t know if I would have escaped from Thrawn if he hadn’t gone to lead the ground assault,” Kallus said. “Governor Pryce was much easier to manipulate.” He wanted Zeb to know the truth of what happened.

Zeb didn’t seem to care about the difference. “You would have,” he said simply.

And that was that. He spoke with such certainty that Kallus felt no need to try and correct Zeb’s belief in him, even if he felt it was unwarranted. He couldn’t pinpoint how it made him feel, but it wasn’t unwelcome. 

Thankfully, Zeb spared him having to think of a response. “Anyway, you’re here, and you  _ deserve _ to be here as much as anyone else. No argument, and no more avoiding treatment. Got it, Alex?”

Kallus couldn’t remember the last time someone had used his given name. The sound of it coming from Zeb was like a pleasant jolt to his stomach. He nearly laughed. “Are you giving me orders, Garazeb?” he said playfully.

“Yup, and you’d better get used to it,” Zeb replied, with a big, crooked smile.

“Gladly,” Kallus said, and this time it was Zeb’s turn to be at a loss for words. 

Kallus found that he rather enjoyed the banter with Zeb. It was easy, natural. The Empire didn’t exactly encourage camaraderie within its ranks, and certainly never left room for friendly banter. As an imperial, you were constantly around other imperials, but that’s all they were. They were either above you, below you, or your competition. When you were on a mission, you didn’t trust a person, you trusted their training. Anything else was frowned upon. Kindness was weakness, and so was friendship. 

Perhaps that was what hit Kallus the hardest when he had eventually made it back to his ship after being stranded with Zeb on Bahryn. The whole experience seemed to awaken something deep within him, something that had been dormant for what felt like a lifetime. With Zeb, even fighting for their lives, there was a warmth there between them that he hadn’t noticed until it was gone, when he was back on his ship and everyone and everything was just…  _ cold.  _

Now here he was, out from under the heavy hand of the Empire for less than a standard hour, and all he felt was  _ warmth _ . He knew Zeb had something to do with that, but he didn’t know how to fit those pieces together just yet. Another thought for another time, maybe. The warmth was enough for now. 

//


	3. Chapter 3

**_Chapter 3_ **

“Just the two I was looking for,” Captain Syndulla said from above, her lekku dangling below her, having found Zeb and Kallus on their way up the ladder from the cargo bay. She moved aside as they came through, Kallus grunting ever so slightly at the effort. He felt a twinge of guilt that he hadn’t yet spoken to the Captain, and in truth, he found her intimidating. But the longer he waited, the greater the chance she might find him ungrateful, and that couldn’t be further from the truth. The fact was that the debts were stacking up against him and he feared what would happen if he left them unpaid for too long. 

“Captain Syndulla,” he began formally, but she put up a hand to stop him.

“It’s Hera,” she said with a kind smile.

“Hera,” Kallus started, his training kicking in as he forced himself to maintain eye contact. “I wanted to thank you for picking me up and taking me in. I’m not sure how long an escape pod would have lasted out there in the midst of it all.”

He could have said more, and maybe he should have, but the look on Hera’s face seemed to tell him that was good enough.

“After all you’ve done for us as Fulcrum, you deserved a way out more than anyone. I just wish we could’ve done it _before_ Thrawn found out,” Hera replied. She was far too gracious. They all were. 

Kallus bit his lip as he struggled with whether or not to tell them there was more to it than they knew. He was just barely in their good graces, what would stop them from sending him out the airlock when they found out _he_ was the reason Thrawn figured out the location of their base? Why should he risk them hating him all over again? 

_Because_ , he decided, _I don’t want their trust in me based on a lie._ He spoke before he could change his mind. 

“About that.” He felt Zeb shift beside him, perhaps to face Kallus more directly. 

“What is it?” Hera asked, her face showing her concern.

Kallus risked a glance at Zeb, who was watching him intently, his gaze curious, before continuing. “I’m afraid _I’m_ the reason Thrawn was able to locate your base.”

They were quiet for a moment as they processed what he’d said. Hera looked at Zeb, who spoke first. 

“What do you mean?”

Kallus took a deep breath and looked at Hera. “My transmission was meant to warn you that Thrawn knew about the attack you were planning on the TIE Defender factory,” he explained. “I sent the transmission without realizing Thrawn already knew I was the traitor. I don’t know how long he’s known, but it was arrogant of me to think he’d stay in the dark for very long. Regardless, it was only _because_ I sent the transmission that Thrawn was able to triangulate the location of your base.” He looked at Zeb. “The attack on Atollon was my fault. I’m… I’m sorry.” 

He ignored his training this time and looked down at the floor. He didn’t want to see the disappointment on their faces. He was expecting justifiable anger from both of them, so he twitched in surprise when he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder. He looked up to see Hera smiling warmly at him. 

“There are way too many factors at play in this war to pin down a victory or defeat on one person.” Her voice was certain and her eyes were kind. “We knew Thrawn was close to finding us; it was only a matter of time. In fact, it was because of your message being cut off that we were able to prepare and defend ourselves the way we did. You risked your life every day as Fulcrum, and it saved a lot of lives today.”

Again, Kallus found himself utterly amazed at these rebels. Their ability to forgive, to look beyond failure, to see the bigger picture, was incredible. If the entire Rebellion was made up of people like this, maybe there was hope after all. And there was that word again. _Hope._

He shook his head. “I don’t know what to say.”

“There’s nothing to say,” Hera said. “There’s no sense dwelling on the past, except to learn from it. What we’re up against is huge, and the only way we’ll get through it is one day at a time. We take each day as it comes, and look ahead with hope.”

And again.

“Hope,” Kallus echoed thoughtfully.

Hera smiled. “Rebellions are built on hope.”

Kallus had to chuckle at that. _If you only knew,_ he thought. 

“Anyway,” Zeb added, nudging Kallus with his elbow, “You’re a rebel now. That’s all that matters.”

Kallus smiled. His eyes drifted from Hera’s to Zeb’s, where they felt content to stay. There was something about the way Zeb was looking at him that made Kallus hold his gaze. His thoughts seemed to settle as he stared. _Hope it is, then._ If this is what it felt like, then Kallus could get on board with that.

Several seconds passed before he vaguely realized that Hera was still standing there with them. He cleared his throat as he forced himself to look at Hera instead.

“Forgive me,” he said, “but I believe you said you were looking for us.”

Hera blinked. “Right,” she said, as if just remembering that fact. “I just wanted to make sure you understood the arrangements.”

Kallus raised an eyebrow. “Sorry, the arrangements?”

Hera looked at Zeb, who nervously laughed and scratched the back of his head. “Oh, uh… I haven’t had a chance to tell him yet.” He looked at Kallus sheepishly, but it was Hera who filled in the blanks.

“The plan is to maximize our time in space to cover our tracks and make absolutely certain we can’t be followed,” she said, her voice and demeanor back to business. Kallus stood a little straighter as he always did when receiving orders. Clearly, Hera had come to tell him where the _Ghost_ was dropping him off before they moved on to their new base.

“We’ll jump at least three times to be safe, and travel the backroads as much as we can--” 

Kallus deflated a little. Right. Backroads. That meant he’ll land on some backwater planet, probably. He hoped it wouldn’t have too heavy an imperial presence.

“--that means we’ll be travelling for a couple of days at least. We don’t have enough beds free for everyone, but we figured you could use one.” 

Kallus’s thoughts stopped short. A bed? That can’t be right. Surely they would want to get rid of him as soon as possible. He opened his mouth to speak, but Hera put up a hand before he could say anything. “I won’t take no for an answer. I won’t have an injured _ex_ -imperial sleeping on the floor of my ship. You’ll be bunking in Zeb’s room until we reach the Yavin system.”

Ah, there it was. He was going to Yavin. It didn’t ring any bells, but he also wasn’t privy to every single system the Empire had absorbed. 

“And I assume Yavin has a limited imperial presence?” Kallus asked.

Hera quirked an eyebrow. “We wouldn’t put a base there if there were _any_ imperial presence.”

“Wait a minute,” Kallus said, his mind trying to make sense of this. “You’re taking me to your _base_? I thought you were just going to drop me off on some backwater planet along the way.”

Hera and Zeb looked at each other, confusion etched across their faces. Zeb turned to him.

“Is that what you want?” he asked. 

Kallus was caught off guard by the pained look in Zeb’s eyes, the wilt of his ears. “No, of course not,” he started. “I suppose I just wasn’t expecting to be allowed on your base.”

“Of course you’re allowed on the base!” Zeb exclaimed. He looked exasperated. “Karabast, Alex, you’re a rebel now! You think we’d just drop you who knows where and hope the imps don’t snatch you up?” 

Kallus stifled a grin. This probably wasn’t a good time to find Zeb’s exasperation wildly amusing, but he couldn’t deny the lightness he felt now that he knew they wouldn’t be abandoning him the first chance they got. He did his best to keep his face neutral.

Hera, for her part, seemed entirely undaunted by Zeb’s outburst. She smiled at Kallus.

“Zeb’s right,” she said. “You _are_ a rebel, and you might be surprised at how many defectors from the Empire there are now, too. The rebellion is stronger because of them. We’re lucky to have you.”

He opened his mouth to thank her, but Zeb wasn’t having it. 

“Like Hera said, we’re not taking no for an answer,” he said, misunderstanding Kallus’s attempt to speak. “Now come on, I’ll show you where you’ll be sleeping.”

Kallus looked at Zeb. He looked at Hera. They were both eyeing him expectantly, as if daring him to argue. 

He smirked. “Alright then,” he said, feigning defeat. “Lead the way.”

//  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry it took me an entire lifetime to post this chapter! You've all aged beautifully. Thank you so much for all the kudos and kind words! I may not reply, but I read them all and smile. :) Hopefully Elon Musk won't have completed his Starship project before Chapter 4 is posted. Fingers crossed!

**Author's Note:**

> I've had this in my head for way too long. I love these boys so dang much. This is officially my first time publishing anything anywhere that real human beings can read. So, thanks for taking the time to read it! I'm in love with this first chapter, and I hope you enjoyed it, too. <3


End file.
